Cassandra Karlin
'''Cassandra Karlin '''is a kesslan from the Doliciere continent. Daughter of a pack elder she enjoyed many comforts in life but also suffered from great expectations. In her childhood she made a habit of learning survival skills, trapping, and mountaineering. Although not typical traits of her family's lineage her parents continued to avidly support her determination. History See: The Day the Wolf Ran: Cassandra met the Darrian when she was only seventeen. Set upon by a would-be suitor she was chased through the Whispers. In a hunt that lasted days she had managed to evade even the most skilled until one night she happened upon Darrian's campsite. Her aim was to pass by unnoticed but the alminiri caught her anyhow. After a tense night where he tried to urge Cassandra to rest, he instead offered assistance to elude the pursuers. She refused, and the next morning vanished. Darrian tracked the young wolf, and secretly waylaid the hunting party wherever he could. In the end it proved useless as the group of now fifteen Darkrunner kesslan captured her. The treck back to Mistwalker territory would take days so one night Darrian snuck into the camp where Cassandra was tied to an old tree, cut her bonds, and asked if she needed help. She refused. The second time they captured her though, she did agree. Unfortunately the suitor, a kesslan named Kaid had kept watch. With the party alerted they captured Cassandra for a third time and secured Darrian next to their prize. For the remaining hours of night both Darrian and Cassandra made conversation albeit brief. When she discovered he was from Jericho she asked if he'd take her away from this place; far away from people like Kaid. The Trial of Darrian Karlin: Kaid had made the point of leaving Darrian secure in the camp while the rest of the party returned to Mistwalker territory. The young Darkrunner made a display of Cassandra, announcing that she had come to her senses and returned to him for the good of the pack. While the Darkrunners kept Cassandra under house arrest, Kaid had begun the traditional rites among alpha and elders to bind both packs. On the third day Darrian made his appearance and declared his rite to challenge Kaid. As the elders of both packs began to question the newcomer; Cassandra was retrieved. As an outsider, they argued, he should have no business interfering with the affairs of Doliceire packs. Darrian responded in kind with recollected laws of the Mistwalkers he had learned over eight centuries prior. * The affairs of the pack will remain within their borders unless matters concern those without. * A wolf may choose in whom shall represent them in matters concerning a change of state, being, or path. * In matters of representation. A wolf may openly and freely acknowledge their chosen so long as it is by freely willed choice. Darrian went on to explain that she had asked for his help, and in turn had made him her champion. Cassandra took her chance to agree with the alminiri's statement. Losing his temper Kaid called for a trial against Darrian and in a moment of bravado chose combat as the test. Before the eyes of the entire community Darrian and Kaid squared off. The alminiri had been warned that as he was a magic capable being he would not be allowed to use any ability which the kesslans did not also possess. As such both men fought hand to hand until eventually a battered and bleeding Darrian stood victorious. As Cassandra's father, Jorryn took the shame hard, but relented all the same as it meant his daughter could find some happiness. With little warning the pack convened and agreed that the two would leave by the next morning. In the middle of the night Kaid and five of his closest broke into the house where Darrian roomed. While the five darkrunners fought Darrian The Salvation Incident: Working with Darrian the two were sent to Salvation, a small town southwest of Vera. While there the two of them happened upon a girl who was singing a song from Darrian's past. This caused the alminiri to enter a confused stupor where he began shifting without noticing. The town's citizens quickly knocked Cassandra unconscious before she could put up a defense. She awoke tied to a stake as the town was preparing to burn her for being allied to a monster. The pyre was lit and she too shifted in panic eventually calling out for her husband to "save her". Without meaning to Cassandra had summoned Darrian's Hellforge mode which ended up destroying the entire town. Post Salvation: Cassandra had suffered severe injuries from the smoke and fire of her attempted murder. She lost both feet past the ankle; stealing her ability to walk. Sarah approached her during recovery and offered a solution to replace the ruined limbs with a substance known as aalphyte. While hesitant at first she eventually decided to undergo the treatment and after months of therapy managed to take the first few steps since Salvation on her own two feet. Mistwalker Culture A custom of the Mistwalker pack is once a woman is married she may never cut her hair unless for three reasons: *If she is unfaithful she must cut her hair short and wear it around her neck as a collar. It is considered the highest form of shame. *If her spouse dies she must cut it and bury it with them. It is considered to be a tribute of the time spent together in hopes that the fallen's spirit will treasure it in the afterlife. *If she dies before her spouse then the hair must be cut and divided. One half must go to the deceased and the other to the survivor. This is considered to mean that even in death their spirits will always remain together.